Safeguarding healthcare professionals from sexual harassment in the workplace: urgent need for effective training and education

Abstract

Abstract Sexual harassment (SH) is a particularly harmful type of harassment that can inflict lasting psychological harm on victims. Within the healthcare sector, it negatively impacts teamwork, communication, and potentially compromises patient care. While concerns about workplace SH, including in healthcare, are long-standing, the #MeToo movement has brought renewed scrutiny to this issue since late 2017. Despite increased awareness, evidence suggests that SH remains prevalent in healthcare settings and shows no signs of decline over time. Therefore, there is an urgent need for effective training and intervention measures to enhance the identification of potential sexually offensive behaviors, thus fostering a work environment characterized by respect and inclusivity.